1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for an improvement in an injection mold and, more particularly, to a housing cover plate for an injection mold to prevent dust, water and other foreign materials from affecting operation of the mold.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Injection molding of plastics to form articles of utility for a variety of industries has fast become the most convenient and acceptable method for forming plastic products of all varieties. An injection mold is made up of two sections, one having an upper cavity core and a supporting member and the other (usually movable) having a lower cavity core and a support member. Standard injection mold components are associated with these pieces of equipment with the movable portion surrounded by a base, side walls and a top formed by the support member all of which define a housing having end openings maintaining a movable ejector assembly. The ejector assembly includes several individual levers which function cooperatively to eject molded products from the mold as they are formed. Each of the cavity cores are affixed to their associated support member. The cavity cores are made with the product design to be molded; i.e., when they are brought together, the cores engage each other and together form a full mold for the product. In operation, the lower portion moves to the upper portion with great pressure, and a particulate plastic or other suitable material in liquid form is forced into the closed core or fully formed mold.
After molding and the upper and lower portion (including the cavity cores) are fully separated, the ejector assembly moves the mold-formed article away from the mold for cooling and additional finishing if that is needed. The housing formed by the bottom, side walls and lower support member is open at each end exposing the housing interior and a part of the ejecting system. During operation, the ejector housing in which a part of the mold resides is constantly changing in size and configuration depending upon the location of various components within the opening at any given time.
Because of the great forces required to operate the injection mold and the exposed openings in the frame, there is a possibility that dust, trash, airborne particles, moisture, ejected molded products or other foreign and undesirable materials can enter the housing during machine operation and cause great damage to the mold or its components. Even when the mold is inactive or even in storage, dirt or other trash can collect in the interior through these openings thus requiring extensive cleaning and servicing before re-activation. Thus protection from and prevention of such activity is critically needed to prevent mold or component damage and avoid costly shutdowns. It is to this need that the present invention is directed.
It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an effective and cost efficient device to prevent the entry or collection of dirt, moisture and unwanted other materials into the ejector housing of an injection mold when the machine is active or inactive.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a device of the type described that can be quickly installed and removed with or without the use of tools or other components.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a device of the type described that can be made from a variety of inexpensive materials.
A further objective of the invention is to provide a device of the type described that can be used, attached or detached in different ways.
The present invention is a device meeting the objectives described and is a cover plate which is preferably a section of flat stock material generally rectangular in configuration of a size sufficient to cover and close the openings in an injection mold. The cover plate overlaps all edges of the opening and is held in place by metallic tape, clips and fasteners or any other adhering elements that will engage it at the overlapping locations and hold it in position over the cavity opening.
On occasion in the written description that follows, reference will be made to the opening in the mold as xe2x80x9cmold opening,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cejector housing opening,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9copening.xe2x80x9d When so used, it is to understood that they all refer to the same element, the opening in the mold formed by the bottom and side walls and the lower support member residing on the two sides of the mold.
Another use for the present invention is as a logo carrying or supporting component since it is readily observed by even the most fleeting glance of an individual generally present at a location near the mold. Mold builders can use the present invention on a new mold or on repaired or renovated molds to bring the name of the manufacturer prominently before potential customers and satisfied users.
Thus there has been outlined the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In that respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its arrangement of the components set forth in the following description and illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.
It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting in any respect. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of this development. It is important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent methods and products resulting therefrom that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The application is neither intended to define the invention, which is measured by its claims, nor to limit its scope in any way.
Thus, the objectives of the invention set forth above, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are noted with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific results obtained by its use, reference should be made to the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views.
The drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. They illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.